Shop Mast General Store in Roanoke this Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 am to 9 pm. 10% of all sales will benefit FRIENDS!
Thank you Mast General for supporting our volunteers’ & members’ work protecting & preserving the Blue Ridge region!
Category: General
Hiking with your partner along a scenic trail … driving solo down the Blue Ridge Parkway … enjoying a meal with your loved ones at a small town diner.
What’s your Blue Ridge?
Send a selfie or scenic shot, plus a sentence or two, that captures what our region means to you and we’ll share it on FRIENDS’ Facebook and Instagram accounts.
[UPDATE 8/15/21] Due to today’s weather forecast, this concert is being postponed to a later date. Please stay tuned to our email and social media for updates. Thank you!
Join us at Explore Park for a free summer concert featuring Gate 10!
Gate 10 is a highly energetic band that has written its own musical story using the tales of traditional bluegrass, gospel music, the high energy of classic rock, and the heartaches of old country music.
This is the third Summer Concert sponsored by FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge, which celebrates the cultural arts of communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Future concerts:
September 19 | Easy Pickins’ will entertain you with their musical blend of Bluegrass and Americana acoustic music.
FRIENDS is a silver level sponsor of Smoke on the Mountain. FRIENDS volunteers from the Fisher Peak Chapter and the Northern Highlands Chapter will have a vendor booth to promote FRIENDS and volunteer opportunities in their Virginia and North Carolina. These two chapters are good FRIENDS and often cross the state line to support each other.
Come see Joyce Speas, Aubrey Arrington and Cary Simms. Cary also has the hard task of being a BBQ judge!
Join FRIENDS this summer at Explore Park, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 115, for a free concert series! Concerts are 5:00 to 6:00 pm on the lawn of Twin Creeks Brewpub, and open to the public.
- June 19: The McKenzies feature a repertoire of lively tunes, unique original songs, familiar ballads, inspiring sing-alongs, and humorous novelty songs that all come together to create an energetic brand of entertainment that appeals to young and old alike.
- July 18 | The Blue Ridge Girls invoke a picturesque simplicity with their take on traditional mountain music. The trio features Martha Spencer, Jamie Collins and Brett Morris.
- August 15 | Gate 10 is a highly energetic band that has written its own musical story using the tales of traditional bluegrass, gospel music, the high energy of classic rock, and the heartaches of old country music.
- September 19 | Easy Pickins’ will entertain you with their musical blend of Bluegrass and Americana acoustic music.
This is the 2nd Summer Concert sponsored by FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge, which celebrates the cultural arts of communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge is pleased to announce the promotion of Julie Whalen to executive director. In the new position, Whalen will work closely with the Board of Directors and officers to expand the group’s volunteer and membership base while furthering the organization’s mission to protect and preserve the Blue Ridge region.
Whalen joined the FRIENDS non-profit in 2017 as the director of membership and marketing and became assistant executive director in 2020. The group has more than 1,500 members and nearly 750 volunteers in nine community-based organizations that empower and coordinate volunteers, projects, and events in their local areas.
“With her first-hand knowledge of our organization, volunteers and members, Julie is the right person to lead our organization,” said Dan Wells, FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Board of Directors president. “During Julie’s time with FRIENDS, we’ve seen her ability to connect with people and communities and that’s an integral part of this job. Not only does she have a wealth of experience in managing membership programs, she is passionate about forging meaningful relationships with our members and chapters who are the lifeblood of our organization.”
Last year, the National Park Service informed FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge it would not be renewing its partnership agreement with the non-profit. “We’ve had to regroup and Julie has been instrumental in helping refocus our efforts, and we are confident she will provide the leadership that is needed as we go forward and reach out to our community partners,” said Wells.
Whalen led one of the FRIENDS’ first initiatives to engage new community partners in April when she conceived and coordinated the Blue Ridge PBS television production of Friends of the Blue Ridge JAM featuring the Junior Appalachian Musicians.
Prior to joining FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge, Whalen worked for Kiwanis International for nine years as director of membership for North America. She and her family have lived in the Roanoke area over seven years.
“FRIENDS members and volunteers are passionate about the Blue Ridge region, its landscape and culture,” said Whalen. “From concerts and trail maintenance to playgrounds and tree plantings, it’s a very exciting time for the organization and I look forward to supporting our members and volunteers as they find ways to have a lasting impact in their communities.”
Whalen began her new position on June 1. She replaced Mark Hogsed who left as executive director at the end of May to take a position with a non-profit Christian ministry. “Mark’s work was impactful,” said Wells. “Our plan is to help Julie build on the great work and relationships he put in place during his time here.”
To learn more about the FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge, visit www.friendsbrp.org.
Preserving Parkway Stories Hiding in Plain Sight
With retirement approaching, FRIENDS member and volunteer, Norwood Morrison was planning how to spend his time. Would he look for ways to continue doing activities that were an extension of his career or would he try something new? What he did know was that he wanted to be outside.
Norwood has known the Parkway all his life, often taking the scenic route to travel. He always had a fondness for the overlooks and how they spoke to the core purpose of the Parkway to “stop and enjoy the view” instead of merely getting from point A to point B.
After joining FRIENDS in 2015, he took a page from the Appalachian Trail handbook which suggested taking a portion of the trail and being responsible for that section. He combined that suggestion with his love of the Parkway overlooks and claimed his section as an overlook adopter for the 14 overlooks from MP 51.4 to MP 69.1.
He plans his new “work trip” knowing it will take 2-3 hours to complete but the scenic route always makes it worth the time, especially now that his overlooks have been restored and look the best they ever have during his lifetime. His section of the Parkway was part of the annual vista restoration program funded by FRIENDS. The overlooks were brought back to their original glory in November 2018.
Just off the span of Parkway that Norwood keeps beautiful is the Lipscombe-Garrett Family cemetery which he adopted. He finds FRIENDS’ Adopt-a-Cemetery program to be a fascinating way to preserve the Parkway history that is hiding in plain sight. Among other tasks, he removes fallen leaves from the plot so the headstones are visible. He has worked with the Amherst County Historical Society to learn what he can about the family too. Near the cemetery plot is the foundation of an old building which is believed to a one-room schoolhouse. Norwood hopes to find someone who attended school there to learn even more.
On November 7, the National Park Service (NPS) honored volunteers who have made significant contributions to the preservation, protection, and enjoyment of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“These volunteers have given the most valuable resource they have to give…time,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent J.D. Lee. “We all have the same number of hours in each day and I am proud to know that this dedicated group of people spent a portion of their time in service to the parkway.”
Over the past year, 1,380 volunteers contributed over 48,000 hours of service, assisting in numerous ways to support operations on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The achievements celebrated on November 7th recognize the time, talent, and dedication to the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Volunteer Program. Following are the recipients of the 2019 Blue Ridge Parkway Volunteer Awards:
Blue Ridge Parkway Individual Volunteer Award
Latane Long from Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway – Humpback Rocks Chapter
As the first and outgoing chapter chair of the Humpback Rocks Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Latane has had a tremendous impact on the Parkway’s northernmost area. Her ability to encourage engagement from others has been instrumental in growing the chapter. The commitment she exhibits to organizing volunteer groups to address Parkway needs has not gone unnoticed. This year Latane’s commitment was demonstrated in a new way as she worked to ensure the continuation of the Humpback Rocks Chapter by recruiting and training a new Chapter Chair to continue her legacy of service.
Blue Ridge Parkway Youth Volunteer Award
Virginia Ward – Rare Plant Monitoring Volunteer
Over the past 2 years, Virginia Ward has contributed 133 hours to the Blue Ridge Parkway in rare plant conservation. Rare plant conservation on the Blue Ridge Parkway involves scrambling off-trail to access remote locations that the park visitors should never venture. Detailed information is meticulously recorded for each plant. The results provide great insights about the health of a population and will inform current and future actions by park staff to conserve these rare and unique plants. As a volunteer, Virginia recorded data, collected data, and carried field equipment to each site – with great enthusiasm and a delightful attitude.
Blue Ridge Parkway Volunteer Group Award
Nelson County Master Gardeners – Humpback Rocks Farm
The Nelson County Master Gardeners volunteers provide a level of service that has transformed the Humpback Rocks Farm (milepost 5.8) garden into a centerpiece of the visitor experience. The gardeners ensure that the garden looks great and contains crops representative of a turn of the century Appalachian mountain farmstead. The group also continually monitors the garden to manage issues with the plants to ensure that the maximum number of visitors can enjoy the garden, learn the stories of crops, and interact with the garden throughout the growing season.
Blue Ridge Parkway Volunteer Youth Group Award
Christ School – Pisgah District Maintenance Projects
The Christ School, based in Asheville, NC believes in the value of integrating service into the lives of students at an early age. In coordination with the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway- Asheville Chapter students have completed multiple projects in the Asheville area of the Parkway instilling a love for service in the students and helping the park address some of its critical deferred maintenance needs.
Blue Ridge Parkway Volunteer Program Award
Craggy Rovers – Craggy Pinnacle Trail
In the fall of 2018, a small but mighty group of volunteers was given the task of providing critical resource preservation messages at Craggy Pinnacle trail in the hopes of protecting the critically imperiled habitat found there. This past spring the Craggy Rovers crew grew from 8 individuals to over 25, providing daily patrols 7 days per week at Craggy Pinnacle. This year Craggy Rovers provided visitor information to over 12,000 people at Craggy Pinnacle helping to serve visitors and spread an important message of personal responsibility and preservation to visitors.
Blue Ridge Parkway Enduring Service Award
Linda and Bill Taylor – Johnson Farm
Linda and Bill Taylor have served as full-time volunteers from April through October for the past 8 years, operating the Johnson Farm near Peaks of Otter (milepost 86). The Taylors care for the Johnson Farm as if it were their own home place. The Taylors make it possible for visitors, locally organized groups and school children to learn about and enjoy the farmstead, providing information as well as completing daily maintenance of the area.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities on the Blue Ridge Parkway visit the park website at www.nps.gov/blri/getinvolved/volunteer.htm or email us at BLRI_Volunteers@nps.gov
Join us for a 1940’s Night on the Parkway at the Brugh Tavern, located just inside Explore Park!
Enjoy swing music by Keenan McKenzie and the Rifters all night. Along with 1940’s cars on display with photo ops available and 1940’s accessories to make your outfit complete. As well as a silent auction filled with gift certificates to experiences along the Parkway, food, drinks, and lots of fun!
This fundraiser will support our efforts to preserve, protect and enhance the park.
Join us for this great event on November 1st at the Brugh Tavern. You don’t want to miss out on a chance to go back in time and spend a 1940’s Night on the Parkway with FRIENDS!
To purchase tickets online visit ANightOnTheParkway.com or call us at 540-772-2992. We can’t wait to dance the night away with you!
Click to Purchase Tickets
Thank you to the following event sponsors:
